The second scenario present on the AEL workstations includes information
relating to a flight from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space
Station. This scenario provides information about living, working and
performing research in a microgravity environment. The following paragraphs
provide an overview of workstations.

Biotechnology/ Material Science Workstation. Students
will see that there are differences between experiments on earth and in
space and they will see how new products and new medicines can be developed
because of microgravity. Investigation of virus infections and antiviral
drugs is used to illustrate the concepts .

Fluids Physics/ Combustion Science Workstation. Using
computer simulation, students will view various experiments to see how
fluids and flames react differently in a microgravity environment. Many
of the experiments illustrated are based on projects actually done on
space shuttle missions.

GPS Workstation. In follow-on lessons from the Aeronautics
Scenario, students learn more about the Global Positioning System, its
components, how they work, and how they are used. They will also learn
about tools scientists and engineers use to control and predict satellite
behavior.

ISS Virtual Reality Tour Workstation. Students will
tour the inside and outside of the International Space Station using state-of-the-art
virtual reality tools. They will learn about the components of the ISS
and how they are used. Simulations are included that show how the ISS
is being constructed.

Living in Microgravity Workstation. Students will learn
how astronauts live and function aboard the space shuttle and the ISS.
Day-to-day activities such as personal hygiene and compartment cleanliness
are described. The also find out that everyday is a bad hair day in microgravity.

Microgravity Demonstrator Workstation. Using a drop
tower, camera, and a computer, students observe and analyze short periods
of weightlessness as they perform various experiments. The experiments
include a demonstration of how various objects fall at the same rate,
how an accelerometer behaves, liquid behavior, and flame behavior (instructor-led
experiment). Students are also introduced to scientific methods and plot
the acceleration rate of the drop tower using an 8 foot ruler. (The Microgravity
Demonstrator is an option.)

Microgravity Interactive Workstation. Students will
learn the basics of microgravity and why experimentation in the environment
is important. They will gather information about the significant microgravity
contributions of NASA and NASA/University research centers and learn what
happens to the human body in space.

Robotics in Microgravity workstation. Students will
learn about robotics, what components make up a robot, and how robots
function. They will also learn how robots are used in space and complete
assembly of a rover. Follow-on activities for this workstation included
additional lessons where students learn to program a robot, perform with
a robot, and solve problems with a robot. (The additional lessons are
instructor-led.)

Resource Center Workstation. Students, teachers and
other visitor’s view selected videos or access Visuals of microgravity
and space flight information to augment the workstation experience. Visitors
can also gather information that can be taken with them after the visit.

Virtual Reality Lab. Students observe various phenomena
as they fly an Orbiter to dock with the International Space Station or
perform a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in virtual reality.